Grounded
by SweetWritingIsMyLife
Summary: Peter gets into trouble with Tony while May is away. I can't put much more into the summary without giving stuff away. Takes place after Homecoming, and before IW. Includes a healthy dose of Irondad/Spideyson, and some good whump. Contains violence and some bleeped swears. No slash/smut. Warnings at beginnings of chapters as needed.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is just the prologue, so it's kind of short, but more exciting stuff is coming soon.**

May's pretty cool with the whole "Spiderman" thing. At her insistence, she, Tony, and Peter all sit down and have a fairly lengthy conversation about ground rules. Peter will have a curfew. Tony will ask her permission before taking him on any "internship trips". If Peter is injured at all during his "Spidering" he is to stop immediately and seek medical attention from whoever is closer, May or Tony. Once and awhile, the three of them will get together and talk about how they all feel things are going. She tells Peter how proud she is of him (though slightly disappointed he hadn't told her earlier), and makes sure Tony knows exactly every reason he was wrong for involving Peter in Civil War.

For possibly the first time in his life, Tony does the mature thing and agrees wholeheartedly. Even more astounding, is that Peter agrees to the guidelines as well. There's a bit of negotiation regarding the time of his curfew, but all parties finally come to an agreement on 1:00 AM. Things go pretty smoothly, and after about three months, May decides she trusts Peter enough to leave him at home, while she visits a good friend in New Jersey. Tony is made aware of the situation and offers to have Peter stay with him, but May wants to give him a chance to prove he can be mature. Besides, he won't be home alone. See, May had introduced Peter to her new boyfriend two months ago. They had been sort of seeing each other for about three months before that, and, well, once Peter had given the "okay" Derek had moved in with them.

Exactly one day after May leaves, Peter stays out patrolling well past 4:00. Tony picks him up, to let him know he's grounded from the suit. The kid gives him the usual crap. He lost track of time, he's sorry, he won't let it happen again, etc. He's not in the mood for crap and relays this information to the junior superhero. Peter falls silent, and Tony is secretly pleased.. Peter doesn't get to go home that night, and if he gets in trouble for sneaking out by his babysitter (Tony's words), that's his problem to deal with.

Tony feels like he's dealt with the situation well, all things considered. He took care of things calmly and without ever raising his voice. A week without Spiderman patrolling would harm neither Peter, nor New York. He doesn't temporarily disable the suit, although he could, for two reasons. A), Peter is a big boy and should be mature enough not to use the suit when he's grounded, and B), if Peter is ever in danger, he wants (well, more needs) to know that Peter has a way of defending himself. He tells Friday to notify him if Peter activates the suit, not expecting to be notified, but having it in place just in case. Three days later, Peter surprises him.


	2. Busted

**A/N: Here's the first real chapter. Warning for some swear words. They're bleeped out, but they're still there. **

"Boss?" Friday's soft lilting Irish accent fills Tony's workspace.

"Hmm?" He makes a noise to signal that he had heard her, but keeps his attention on the circuit board he's currently working on.

"Peter has activated his spider suit," comes her response. "You requested that I notify you immediately if he does so." Tony swears.

"Is he running from someone? Fighting someone?" He tries to sound frustrated, but anyone who knows him would be able to tell he's worried.

"No, boss. He is just sitting on the rooftop of a privately owned Italian restaurant. There is no one nearby, and the restaurant is closed." Tony swears again, suiting up to go retrieve the teen. He's already having a less than stellar night. He had pulled a series of all-nighters, and, exhausted, decided to get some sleep around 8:00. A nightmare, well, more of a flashback, tore him out of his sleep gasping and panting around 1:00. Of course, what does Tony Stark do when he's pulled out of sleep by a nightmare? He starts working on some upgrades to a suit. Peter's suit, nonetheless. When Friday notifies him, he's nursing a migraine, and his finger is throbbing from where he got it caught between two sharp pieces of metal.

He puts the suit on auto-pilot, and rehearses his "just what were you doing out here" speech. He picks Peter up by his underarms, silent, the whole flight to the tower. Once there, he deposits the kid onto the nearest couch, stepping out of his suit in one fluid motion. He begins talking immediately.

"Excuse me, but just what were you thinking?" His earlier frustration that he let build up, is simmering just behind his quiet, assertive voice. "Huh? From what I remember, you are still grounded from using the suit. So how about explaining to me exactly what you were doing in your suit at 2:30 AM?"

"I- I'm sorry Mr. Stark," Peter responds quietly.

"You're sorry," Tony laughs harshly. "You're sorry. That's all you ever are, isn't it? Sorry?" Tony's voice is rising in volume and intensity. He's inches from losing it, but he's too tired to bring himself to care. "You do exactly what I've told you not to, and you're sorry. You almost get yourself killed, and it's 'I'm sorry Mr. Stark'. You endanger hundreds of civilians' lives, forcing me to come out and save the day, and you're f*ing 'sorry'." He's so caught up in what he's saying that he doesn't notice the kid curling into himself. It does seem odd that Peter's not interrupting him every few words with a "but Mr. Stark-", but he chalks it up to the fact that Peter must know how much trouble he's in, and knows that protesting won't help his case any. "I didn't disable your suit, because I wanted you to have a way of protecting yourself in an emergency. I trusted that you were mature enough to refrain from using it when you knew you were grounded. Apparently, I was wrong. You have to learn somehow that you can't disobey May and I. All we want is what's best for you. It isn't like we're trying to stifle you, we just want to make sure to keep you safe."

"Yes, sir. I understand. It-It won't happen again. Sir," Peter's response is subdued, but sincere. There is a moment of silence where Tony is trying to decide what to do or say next, then Peter's voice comes again, softly and hesitantly. "Mr. Stark…" Tony raises an eyebrow, waiting for more. Peter begins again, slowly. "Mr. Stark, am I going to be punished, sir?" the 'sir' is added on at the end, almost as an afterthought, and Peter's fidgeting nervously.

"I'm not going to punish you," Tony decides after a moment of thought. "But I am going to disable the suit for the rest of your grounding period. And tonight, I'm going to take you home and let Derek know that you snuck out. Whether or not he punishes you for that, is his decision." He sighs because he can't be angry with the teen for too long. They get into Tony's car because it would be unnecessarily unsubtle to fly over in the Iron Man suit. When they arrive, Tony goes up to the apartment with Peter, and knocks firmly on the door. A couple of minutes later, the door is opened to reveal a man who looks to be in his mid-thirties. He is clearly disgruntled, but at the sight of Peter, his expression changes to one of confusion.

"Peter? Was' goin' on?" he rubs the sleep from his eyes. "Is that Tony Stark with you?" When Peter is silent, Tony responds for him.

"You must be Derek," he offers a hand for the man to shake. "Tony Stark. Peter here is my intern. I was on a walk when I saw him wandering the streets near the tower by himself. I got my car, picked him up, and brought him here. When he revealed that he had snuck out, I told him I was going to have to wake you up and inform you. We both agreed that in May's absence, any discipline ought to be decided and enacted by you."

"Peter, the Avengers Tower is so far from here!" Derek exclaims. "What were you thinking? It's dangerous at this time of night. Especially in New York! Spiderman may be decreasing the crime rate nightly, but he can't get to everyone. The chances of him being around to protect you are very slim. I know you idolize him, but putting your life in danger, is the worst way to get his attention." Tony almost laughs at the irony of the man's comments. Derek turns to him. "Thank you so much for bringing him home. I'm very sorry for the trouble he's caused you."

"Really, it isn't much trouble," Tony counters. "Like I said, I was already out. The drive out here was pleasurable anyway. I love any time I can spend with my brightest intern." He ruffles Peter's hair affectionately, missing the slight tense of his shoulders.

"Well, thank you anyway," Derek smiles. "Come on Peter, we'd better get to bed." Peter slowly steps over the threshold into his apartment. The last thing Tony sees before the door shuts is Peter's remorseful face. At least now maybe he'll think twice about sneaking out when he's grounded.


	3. Three Strikes

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! Thank you all for your reviews, I'm so glad that people are enjoying this story. **

**Chapter warnings: Bleeped swears, very very mild violence.**

Peter loves May. He really loves her. When she introduces him to Derek, he's glad she found someone. Since Uncle Ben's passing, May really hadn't given other men her age much attention. She seemed to close herself off and hold on to Ben. It was almost as if she felt as though dating another man would be unfaithful to her late husband, or disrespectful in some way. When Derek and May are together, Peter sees a glint of the pure joy that used to reside permanently in her eyes. He has no intention of taking that away from her. It's a little awkward at first, getting used to another person sharing the space of their small apartment again, but Derek settles in fairly quickly. Peter really likes him. He's funny, and he helps May out with housework, groceries, and even rent. When they sit down to dinner together, Peter always gets this small flicker of what a complete _family_ feels like. Sometimes, Peter finds himself feeling ignored a bit, because May and Derek are talking, and are so in love that the rest of the world fades out of their perception, but that's okay. He doesn't mind, because, how could he when May is giggling like she's young again, and Derek is looking at her like she's queen of the world. Peter is pretty sure there's no way Derek would ever hurt his aunt. His spidey senses don't often fail when it comes to judging character, and sensing when his close friends and family are hurt or in trouble. Just the other day, May had burnt her finger on the stove. Peter had come running out from his room, not because he heard anything, but just because his spidey senses had started tingling like crazy. So yeah, she hasn't been hurt by the guy. If something does happen, and Derek suddenly goes wacko, Peter can get his aunt out of the relationship quicker than she can say "ow".

The first warning comes week three of the move-in. Peter passes Derek in the hallway, on the way to his room, and the hairs on his arms stand on end. He's confused, but continues on with what he was doing before, and soon forgets about it. He's not going to freak out just because his spidey senses go haywire for a few seconds.

The second warning is a little stronger. May is still on duty at the hospital, and Peter has just gotten home from school. He's alone with Derek, and an unexplainable feeling washes over him. It's as if Derek has some dark, malicious thought running through his head, and Peter can sense it. He shrugs it off when Derek welcomes him home with a wide grin, a snack, and an invite to a game of cards. Five rounds of Uno later, they are laughing and having a good time, and Peter wonders why he was ever worried.

The third warning, has Peter seriously considering discussing things with May. It happens week one of the second month since Derek had moved in. Peter gets home after an afternoon with Tony working on the latest Iron Man suit, and heads to his room to finish some calculus homework. Derek intercepts him and informs him darkly that he "doesn't like Peter spending so much time with Tony Stark". Peter is taken aback by the sharp tone underneath the man's scowl, that is so unlike the good-natured man May had introduced him to. At the blatant shock on Peter's face, Derek seems to check himself, and neutralizes his features. He apologizes for scaring Peter, and says that he didn't mean any harm by it. He just isn't a huge fan of Tony, and doesn't want Peter to be influenced by the billionaire. Peter accepts the apology, and forgives him. He doesn't bring it up with May, because, it hasn't ever happened before, and Derek makes her happy. He doesn't want to say anything that might jeopardize her new relationship. The next two weeks are uneventful, and Peter starts to feel as though maybe he has imagined the whole thing.

As the saying goes, "Three strikes, and you're out". A week before May leaves to visit family, Peter and Derek are home by themselves. Peter never quite remembers what starts it, but soon, the two of them are engaged in a heated argument. Peter remembers saying something about _Tony Stark_, and then his hand is hovering over his right cheek, which is throbbing. Derek immediately apologizes profusely, and begs that he doesn't tell his aunt, because it was an accident, and he really didn't mean it, and oh f***, it was going to leave a nasty bruise, and he was just so sorry.

Peter tells May all about the doorframe he ran into that afternoon. After all, Derek has never hit him before. He had sounded almost frantically sorry for it, and more importantly, Peter has never gotten even an inkling of the feeling that Derek is a threat to May. Peter is not going to take away something that makes May happy, just because of a little bruise, and some hurt feelings.

Besides, he's Spider-Man. He can handle it.


	4. You're Out

**A/N: I bring you another chapter! (And apologies it took so long. I finished writing most of this story before I started posting it, so all I needed to do was edit and post haha.) Working at a Girl Scout camp has made life a ****_little_**** crazy lately, and I only get about two hours a day where I have access to an internet connection. Sometimes, I spend that time just taking deep breaths lol.**

**Warnings for this chapter: Bleeped swears, violence against a minor**

When Tony offers to take Peter while May is gone, a part of Peter is screaming "Yes, please say yes!" Unfortunately, May says he'll be fine, and Peter doesn't think he can protest without raising concerns. He is fine, the first day. On the second day, he comes home after getting together with Tony, to a silent house. The second he crosses the threshold, every hair on his body stands at attention. He starts on his way to his room, hoping to hide out in there, but is intercepted.

"Where've you been Peter?" Derek growls angrily.

"At Mr. Starks, for my internship," Peter replies cautiously. Derek pushes him against the wall, making his back arch painfully.

"What did I tell you about him?" Derek hisses.

"Look, I can't just stop going to my internship just because you don't like him," Peter gasps as he is slammed against the wall again.

"Watch your tone, boy," Derek warns. "If I say I don't want you over at Stark's house, you'll d*** well stay away from there. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

"Yes, sir, you mean?" Derek's grip tightens threateningly.

"Yes, sir," Peter whispers. When Derek releases him, he quickly makes his way to his room. He lays on his bed, facing the wall as tears threaten to spill over his eyelids. Before long, he just can't take it anymore, and he's out of the house swinging from building to building. He stops a mugging, and helps a young boy find his mom, who had lost him in the crowd, then purchases a pretzel from a small cart, swinging up onto a building to eat it in solitude. His phone bleeps with an incoming message from Derek.

_Where are you?_

_Where the h*** are you?_

_You better come home, or you're really gonna be in for it!_

_I will beat the living daylights out of you Peter Parker! Get your a** back here now, or I swear you'll be in a h*** of a lot of pain._

Around this message is when Peter stops reading the texts. He also stops eating the pretzel, having lost his appetite completely. He knows he's in a lot of trouble, but decides to stay out late, hoping Derek will be in bed by the time he comes home. He turns his phone off completely, and goes back to being Spiderman. It's at 4:00 AM that Peter realizes he has made a terrible mistake. He had planned to stay out until he was sure Derek was in bed, but he should have deactivated the suit at curfew. Now, he is on his way to the Avengers Tower, in Tony Stark's metal arms. Peter's not surprised that Tony grounds him from the suit. He is a bit surprised, but quietly grateful that he will be spending the night there. He'll have all day at school too. Maybe, if he's gone for that long, Derek will have time to cool off. He hopes so, anyway.

* * *

When Peter gets home after school the next day, the silence in the apartment is deafening. Peter's hairs stand on end, then a hand reaches out and covers his mouth, jerking him back. He almost fights on instinct, but remembers that he's not Spiderman. He's just Peter Parker. He allows himself to be dragged to his room, the only thought running through his head being "well I guess he didn't cool off". When he turns around, Peter can see that his attacker is indeed Derek, and the man is livid.

"Where the f*** did you go last night?" he hisses dangerously. Peter stays silent, unsure of what to say. "I said, where the f*** were you last night," Derek grips his arms tightly. Peter stays silent, not even making a sound when Derek's hand makes sharp contact with his face. His head snaps back with the blow, and his world tilts a bit. It's at that point it occurs to him he hasn't eaten anything since the half of a pretzel he'd had the day before. Tony had given him money for lunch today and had Happy take him to Mcdonalds for breakfast, but shortly after his arrival at school, Flash had taken both. The worst part about that had been that Flash hadn't even eaten the food, he'd just smeared it on Peter's locker. Derek brings him back from his thoughts pushing him into his wall. Peter grunts softly.

"You gonna answer me, or do I have to beat it out of you?" Derek growls. Hoping to satisfy the man, Peter answers somewhat truthfully.

"I went, I went to Mr. Stark's," he winces when his voice cracks, betraying his fear.

"You wanna repeat that for me?" Derek sounds incredulous.

"I went to Mr. Stark's," He tries to make his voice stronger this time.

"Are you f***ing kidding me? You went to Stark's right after I told you not to?" Derek shakes the teen, to drive his point home.

"You-you can't tell me not to see him," Peter protests. Another fist flies out in response, and Peter wheezes, having lost his breath.

"I can tell you whatever the h*** I want to, Peter," Derek asserts. "Do you understand?" His hands grab tightly to Peter, and the teen gasps in pain.

"Yes," he whispers.

"Yes what, Peter?"

"Y-yes sir," Peter lowers his head.

"Quick learner, aren't you?" Derek releases him and pats him on the head. Peter flinches away from the contact, willing away a few tears that have gathered in his eyes. "Now, why don't you work on some homework?" Derek's voice is pleasant now, borderline _fatherly_ and Peter almost can't take it. "We wouldn't want you falling behind, now would we?"

"N-no," Peter breathes.

"What was that?" Derek prods.

"No sir," Peter holds his breath, hoping he's given the right answer.

"Good, that's what I thought you said," Derek nods. "Remember, Peter. It's very important to be polite. You have to treat others with respect, especially those older than you. If you don't, then us adults have to punish you. It isn't that we _like _punishing you, it's that we _have_ to. Do you understand?"Peter nods, insides numb with confusion. May has never hurt him. Neither has Tony, or Ben, or-or anyone for that matter. Of course he had never been caught doing something so _bad_ before. Maybe that was it...

Punishment deserved or not, Peter is glad to see Derek exit his room, and even shut the door. Trying to pass the time, Peter does end up working on homework. When he runs out of that, he picks up his StarkPhone, and starts to message Ned to see if his friend wants to hang out. His finger hovers over the "send" button, before he realizes that getting together with his friend would be impossible with Derek around. The message is quickly deleted, and Peter idly scrolls through Facebook for a little while. A rather loud rumble is his stomach's abrupt reminder that _hey dummy we're a little hungry here_! His mind races. Should he risk going out of his room to get some food? It isn't long before hunger wins out, and he is creeping out to the kitchen in search of nourishment.

Derek is sitting on the couch when Peter creeps past, and the teen jumps about a mile high when he speaks.

"Did you get all your homework finished Peter?" That same pleasant fatherly tone from before colors his voice.

"Yes sir," Peter holds his breath, waiting for something to happen.

"Looks like you're headed to the kitchen," Derek has a smile on his face. All traces of his earlier anger have vanished completely. "You hungry Pete?"

"Um, yeah. I-I mean yes. Sir. Yes sir, I'm hungry. Sir," Peter stutters.

"Why don't I order some takeout? We can eat dinner together," Derek stands up. "How about pizza? Sound good to you?"

"Sure," Peter nods. He's confused at the man's change in behavior. Isn't Derek mad at him? Maybe punishment was where it ended. Whenever May would get frustrated with him or they would have an argument, she would always come find him later to make up. Maybe this was Derek's way of making up to him. Maybe that was it. Maybe he just needed to be punished. It didn't mean Derek didn't love him, right? It just meant that he had a lesson to learn. Now that he has learned his lesson, they can eat pizza together, and maybe even watch a movie. Peter goes to bed that night with a full belly, and a smile on his face. Tomorrow, he will be good so that he doesn't have to be punished again. Maybe they can have more pizza too.


	5. No Second Chances

**A/N: I am not dead! I am, however, sorry for the long wait for an update. Some crazy stuff happened, and then my computer decided to be annoying. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!**

**Warnings: Bleeped swears, mildly graphic violence against a minor**

The next day is Saturday. Peter wakes up late, and goes out into the kitchen, a bit nervously. He breathes a sigh of relief when he finds that Derek is gone, and opens the fridge. There isn't much inside, but a couple of cold slices of pizza from the night before. He eats them, and goes back to his room, vaguely wishing there was something else he could eat. There isn't, and he distracts himself from his hunger by scrolling through Facebook, and then watching Youtube. He's so focused on his vine compilation, he doesn't hear Derek get home until his door is slammed open. Peter starts, and watches the man fearfully. He appears to be very drunk, if the way he's stumbling is anything to go by. Peter holds his breath in anticipation.

"That all you been doin' 's sittin' on your lazy a* all day?" Derek slurs. Peter doesn't answer, for fear of setting him off. Not that it matters. His silence is just as bad as saying the wrong thing, and a hand makes contact with his cheek.

"Please, not today," Peter whispers. "I'll be good, I promise."

"You were already bad," Derek grabs his hair, and jerks him upward, pulling Peter's face close to his own. Peter grimaces at the reek of stale alcohol on the man's breath. "You listen to me you waste of space. You are going to make yourself useful! I want this place cleaned from top to bottom do you understand me?" Peter nods wordlessly, his breath catching in his throat as he struggles not to cry. The man releases his hair, pushing him to the ground, and sending a stray kick to his ribs. Peter waits for him to leave his room, before getting up and beginning work on cleaning up the apartment.

The cleaning takes him about four hours, and after, he timidly approaches Derek.

"I- I'm done. Sir," Peter speaks softly. He thinks he has done a pretty good job, but Derek seems to disagree after a quick inspection.

"Done? You call that done?" Derek growls. "Look at this place. It looks like a trash heap. I can't believe you're so lazy. Always taking the easy way out aren't you?" Derek's hand catches his cheek for the second time that day. "Now I have to punish you again. You're so stupid." He drags Peter to his room, and lays into him. His fists start the punishment, but he seems to grow either tired or bored, (Peter can't tell which), and his belt comes off of his pants. Peter is forced to remove his shirt, and lay across his chair on his stomach. The leather comes flying through the air, and strikes his back with such force that the wind is knocked out of him. Another blow strikes, a little higher up, and he can feel something warm beginning to trickle down his back. He tries to distract himself, imagining himself in Tony's workshop, testing out a new suit modification. He executes the modification perfectly, and Tony congratulates him. He's ecstatic, and bounces up and down erratically. Tony looks proud, and ruffles his hair, and then- a particularly sharp blow drags him from his imagination, and he cries out loudly. By the time Derek leaves, tears are streaming down Peter's face, and blood is streaming down his back. He lays on his bed, disoriented and quivering in pain. His numbed mind can't even come up with a reason for his punishment. He could have just cleaned the house again and tried to get it right. May usually gives him a second chance. Mr. Stark doesn't always give him a second chance, though. He generally gets in trouble for doing things wrong as soon as his mentor finds out. Mr. Stark has never hurt him, but maybe that's because he has never been so bad before. That must be it. If so, Peter will be as good as possible, because he doesn't want to be punished anymore. A niggling in the back of his mind protests that being beaten, and being punished are not the same thing and that there is something very wrong about what Derek is doing to him, but Derek's words have poisoned the boy. He should have told May as soon as he suspected something was wrong. Now, he's in too deep to turn back.

He's been in bed for about an hour, when he feels his advanced healing abilities begin to kick in. He hasn't eaten much recently, so the healing is delayed, but a sigh of relief passes through his lips as his pain subsides a bit. By the time he feels well enough to get up and do something, it's already 10:00 at night, and he finds himself yawning. Oh well, at least he can't get into trouble while he's asleep, right?


	6. There's a Fine Balance Regarding Respect

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! I'm glad that I'm not the only one that likes my story. I'm always a little worried about how people are going to react to my writing, and all of your excited reviews have made me feel much better about this story!**

**Anywho, without further ado, here's the next chapter.**

**Warnings for bleeped swears. No graphic violence, but abuse all the same.**

He wakes up the next morning to an empty apartment. A visit to the kitchen tells him the apartment doesn't just lack people, but also food. There is a stale loaf of bread in the pantry, and he's hungry enough that he pulls off the moldy bits, and eats the rest. Not the best meal he's ever eaten, but at least it curbs the gnawing ache in his stomach. His healing factor has drained his body of energy, and he soon finds himself back in his bed. He's contemplating what to do with his time, when he finds himself dialing Mr. Stark. By the time it registers to him exactly what he's doing, the ringing cuts off, and his mentor answers.

"Hey, Pete," the calm voice surrounds Peter like a hug. "What's up?"

"Uh, hey. Hey Mr. Stark. Hi. Um, how, how are you?" Peter stammers. He silently curses himself. Why did he call Tony? Why would Tony Stark want to talk to him?

"I'm good," comes an automatic response. "You wanna come in and help me figure out a problem with my suit that's been driving me crazy for the past hour?" Peter's breath catches in his throat. He wants to, so bad. He wants to go, and stay until May gets home, but he can't. He can't risk getting in trouble with Derek again, and he definitely can't tell Mr. Stark what's been happening. Not unless he wants to really mess things up for his Aunt May.

"I-I can't," Peter replies. "Derek and I are going to see a movie soon." He hates himself for the lie, but he needs to give something as a reason. Otherwise, Tony will be suspicious. "I uh, I just wanted to apologize again for Thursday. I shouldn't have been out that late. I inconvenienced you, and it was inconsiderate of me."

"Hey, kid," Tony spoke up. "Don't worry about it. Everyone makes mistakes, the key is learning from them. Oh, and don't ever call yourself as an inconvenience. You're too special for that." Peter feels some moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes. He doesn't speak right away for fear of giving his emotions away. When he feels like he has gathered himself enough, he mutters a quiet "okay" wincing when his voice cracks anyway.

"I'll see you Monday for our internship," Tony says.

"Yeah, see you Monday," Peter feels his tears trying to resurge. There's a shout, and then Peter hears a "S*** DUM-E that's not supposed to happen!"

"Sorry Pete, I gotta go before DUM-E manages to burn down my whole workshop."

"O-okay," Peter swallows thickly. "Bye Mr. Stark."'

"Bye kid," he can tell the man is grinning on the other side of the line. "Stay out of trouble." The line beeps to let him know the call has been ended, and he drops his phone on the bed next to him. He wants to do something, but he just doesn't have the energy, so instead, he rolls over, and closes his eyes. The next thing he knows, three hours have passed. He sits up, and a wave of dizziness passes through him. Right. Lack of food. He lays back down. He must be pretty drained because he doesn't notice Derek's arrival until the man calls his name.

"Peter!" Derek calls. Peter tries to decide if he sounds angry or not. He almost sounds, _pleasant_? Peter isn't about to take chances with upsetting his caretaker and hurries out to greet him, leaning against the wall for support once he reaches the man.

"Hi," Peter speaks awkwardly.

"Hey yourself," Derek smiles, and it feels so _off_, like the expression doesn't belong on his face. "What have you been up to all day? Not getting yourself into trouble, I hope." His voice and mannerisms seem to portray jokingness, but Peter can't help but feel an underlying threat.

"N-no sir," Peter stutters. "I've just mostly been sleeping. I haven't been feeling very well today."

"You don't look sick," Derek places a hand on Peter's forehead, and he has to fight an urge to run. "No fever."

"I-I've been dizzy," Peter mutters quietly.

"What was that Petey? You'll have to speak louder," Derek furrows his eyebrows.

"I've, um, I've been feeling dizzy when I get up, and when I move around," Peter's breathing halts as he waits for a response.

"Well, I'm not seeing anything that indicates that you're sick, so it can't be that bad." Derek decides. "Let's play a few rounds of Uno, and see how you feel then." Peter agrees, puzzled at how the man is acting, but not wanting to accidentally mess things up by doing or saying the wrong thing. Peter wins consecutively, and after the third round, Derek throws his cards down harshly.

"You're cheating," he claims.

"N-no I'm not," Peter freezes. _This is it. This is where it all comes apart._

"Whatever," Derek scowls. "I'm done playing. It's no fun losing all the time."

"Do you, um, do you want to play a different game?" Peter asks.

"No," Derek gets up and moves to the couch, turning on the t.v. with the volume up. Peter waits until the man chooses a channel, and creeps to his room. He sits at his desk a little while, holding his head in his hands as if he might wish away his headache. Wishing fails him, as wishing often does, and he moves to his bed, not even taking the time to turn of his bedroom light. Lying there, with his eyes closed, he tries to relax. Leave it to his spider senses to conveniently improve. One moment he's lying in bed feeling a slight throb in the back of his head, the next moment, the pain intensifies, and his sheets are too scratchy, and the t.v. is too loud, and his light is too bright, and Derek is _breathing,_ and all of a sudden he's suffocating, he can't breathe, he can't, he needs, he needs May, or-or Mr. Stark, or-or- He notices a pair of over-ear headphones out of the corner of his eye. "_How often do you deal with this sensory overload thing?" "Just every once and awhile. Usually when I'm stressed." "Well here, these should reduce outside noise by at least 85%." _Peter remembers the whole conversation clearly. He'd had sensory overload attack at the tower, and Tony had made the noise-canceling headphones for him for if it ever happened again. How he remembers this while also fighting the screaming in his head, he isn't quite sure, but he stumbles over to grab the tech and slip them over his ears. The excess noise vanishes at once. The light is still bright, and there's still an oppressive shroud over the atmosphere of the house, as though his senses know that Derek's presence means danger. He slides his window open and steps out onto the fire escape. The sun has set, and the sky is overcast, and Peter relishes in the darkness the clouds provide. Out here, the air is clearer, and he doesn't feel so much like he's suffocating. He sits down and rubs away the remains of tears from his cheeks. _Wait, tears? _He hadn't even realized he'd been crying. Obviously, his brain had been a little preoccupied with other, difficulties, so he wasn't too surprised. He loses track of time, out on the fire escape, until he is brought back to reality with a wave of fear, as the hairs on his arm stand straight up. He tears off his headphones, as he is jerked inside of his window by Derek, who pins him against his wall.

"What the f*** do you think you're doing?" Derek hisses dangerously.

"I-I just needed some fresh air," Peter breathes.

"Did I tell you that you could go outside?" Derek's voice raises slightly. Peter shakes his head mutely."What was that? I can't hear you."

"N-no sir," Peter tries to quell the shaking of his hands.

"Remember what I said about being respectful, Peter?"

"Yes, sir," Peter's holding his breath now.

"Was it very respectful of you to be outside without my permission, Peter?" It feels like he's playing a dangerous game, one that Peter loses either way.

"N-no," Peter replies.

"Excuse me?" Derek tightens his grip on Peter's arm eliciting a gasp of pain.

"No sir, it was not respectful of me, sir," Peter closes his eyes as a fresh wave of dizziness passes over him.

"Do you remember what I said happens when children are disrespectful?" Derek's voice is eerily calm, and it creates a heavy feeling in the pit of Peter's stomach.

"Yes, sir."

"Do you enjoy being outside, Peter?" Derek wonders.

"Y-yes, sometimes, sir," Peter replies, curious as to why this question is relevant to their conversation.

"Maybe you would like to spend the night outside, that way you'll appreciate inside more." Derek's voice held no room for discussion, even though his words seemed to imply a suggestion.

"I do appreciate the inside," Peter protests guardedly. "I just needed some fresh air earlier."

"Then you can get some more fresh air tonight," Derek finalizes. "I'll give you five minutes to pack a bag, and then I don't want to see you before seven tomorrow morning. Understand?"

"But-" Derek cuts him off immediately.

"Remember to be respectful Peter," he has that infuriating father quality to his voice again, and it makes Peter's skin crawl.

"Yes, sir," Peter hangs his head ashamedly. He grabs his backpack and limps out of the apartment. The last thing Derek says to him is a warning not to tell anyone, and to especially stay away from Tony Stark.


	7. New York Isn't So Friendly at Night

**A/N: Here**** it is, another chapter! I'm glad people seem to be enjoying it so far. I've gotten a lot of reviews in favor of putting Derek in his place, and I'm glad everyone seems to hate him as much as me haha. Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him.**

Warnings: Bleeped swears, Peter getting hit on by an older man but nothing too graphic.

Peter walks aimlessly, away from his apartment. If he wasn't grounded from the suit, he might have done some patrolling, but he can't risk Tony noticing him using it. In the first place, Derek had specifically warned him to stay away from the man. In the second place, Tony has never had a reason to strike Peter before. Peter wants to keep things this way, if only to carry an illusion that the man would never hurt him. Peter goes down a familiar alleyway to hunker down for awhile, deciding that the black that keeps dotting his vision isn't exactly conducive to walking around alone at night in New York.

After he sits down, he assesses his situation. A constant pain resides in the pit of his stomach, as well as a dull headache. He remembers how little he's eaten, and the pains make sense. He rummages through his backpack, and finds a special energy bar that Mr. Stark had created for him. It was specially engineered for his fast metabolism. Mr. Stark had made it clear to him that it was not a meal replacement, but a snack. He eats it anyway, hoping the nutrients will help him heal and reduce his dizziness. When he's finished, he feels a bit better. He also feels a heaviness settle over him, and tries to shake it off. He knows that falling asleep here would be dangerous, but somehow he can't stop his head from drooping, or his eyes from closing.

The energy bar must have done some good, because it's his spider senses that wake him up, and he sits still holding his breath and observing his surroundings. He starts with what he can hear. Breathing. Shuffling feet. A few small coughs. He smells next. The dumpster he's sitting against. Stale cigarettes and alcohol. Body odor, as if a person hasn't showered in weeks. He opens his eyes and focuses them. A shadowy figure comes into view. Peter focuses his eyesight a little more, and catches some significant features. The person is a man with a scraggly beard, and long, stringy hair. He seems to be the source of many of the smells Peter had picked up on previously, and the source of the shuffling, breathing, and coughing. He notices Peter, and his mouth forms into a grin, showing off his yellowing teeth, at least the ones he has left.

"Whas' a pretty boy like you doin' all alone out 'ere tonight?" he slurs.

"Uhm, just uh, well, actually, I was just going," Peter stutters, standing to his feet to make an exit. The vagrant grasps his arm.

"Not s'fast," his grip is surprisingly tight for how drunk he seems to be. "Wanna talk t'you."

"I uh, I'd love to talk, but I have to go. I'm, um, I'm already out past curfew, and- and I really should be getting home," Peter's heart is racing, and his senses are going haywire. It's as if his whole body is screaming "RED ALERT".

"If yer already out pas' curfew, was' a few more minutes?" he says, pulling Peter closer to him. He trails a hand down Peter's back, and rests it on his hip. "'Sides yer so pretty. Be a shame not t'talk t'such a pretty thing." Panicking, Peter pulls himself out of the man's grasp, and runs, clutching the straps of his backpack to his shoulders. He doesn't stop until he's run about six blocks, even though the man makes no attempt to follow him. Checking to make sure no one is around to see, he quickly scales the side of a tall building, and sits on the roof. He has no desire to spend any more time on the ground, vulnerable to attacks. The only problem with being up higher? The wind is blowing harder up here, and the air feels colder. He tries to curl in on himself, and use his body heat to warm up, but he's shivering violently after only about 10 minutes. Thermoregulation is one of his body's weaknesses, so he's not very surprised. Without really giving much thought to his actions, he puts on his spiderman suit.

"Hello, Peter," Karen greets him, as soon as the suit is active.

"Hey Karen," he replies tiredly. "Um, could you turn the heater on please."

"Of course," she responds. Warmth instantly floods the suit, and Peter sighs in relief.

"Thanks. That's nice," he murmurs tiredly.

"You seem to be under some duress," Karen observes. "Would you like me to contact Mr. Stark?"

"What? No!" Peter is quick to deny her. "I mean, I'm fine. I don't need Mr. Stark. I'm just kind of tired. I need some rest, that's all."

"It would be more beneficial for you to rest inside somewhere. Either in your own bed, or maybe at Mr. Stark's house," the AI advises. "You appear to be closer to Mr. Stark's. Would you like me to find you the quickest route to his house?"

"No, Karen. That's okay," Peter answers. "I'll be fine here." He waits for the inevitable response from Karen, insisting that he goes somewhere safer, and is surprised when she is silent. He then realizes that the heater is no longer warming his suit, either, and his displays have gone dark. Which means his suit is offline. Which means either it is broken, which is nearly impossible, or Mr. Stark- Mr. Stark. The sound of repulsors become noticeable in the distance and quickly grow louder.

Mr. Stark arrives in front of Peter, and he is picked up and carried by his underarms back to the Avengers Tower. His mentor drops him onto a couch, and steps out of the Iron Man suit.

"Excuse me, but just what were you thinking?" Mr. Stark begins. "Huh? From what I remember, you are still grounded from using the suit. So how about explaining to me exactly what you were doing in your suit at 2:30 AM?"

"I- I'm sorry Mr. Stark," Peter responds quietly.

"You're sorry," Tony laughs harshly. "You're sorry. That's all you ever are, isn't it? Sorry?" Tony's voice is rising in volume and intensity, and Peter curls into the couch out of fear. "You do exactly what I've told you not to, and you're sorry. You almost get yourself killed, and it's 'I'm sorry Mr. Stark'. You endanger hundreds of civilians' lives, forcing me to come out and save the day, and you're f***ing 'sorry'." Peter trembles. This is it. He has finally done something so bad that Mr. Stark will have no choice but to hurt him. "I didn't disable your suit, because I wanted you to have a way of protecting yourself in an emergency. I trusted that you were mature enough to refrain from using it when you knew you were grounded. Apparently, I was wrong. You have to learn somehow that you can't disobey May and I. All we want is what's best for you. It isn't like we're trying to stifle you, we just want to make sure to keep you safe."

"Yes, sir. I understand. It-It won't happen again. Sir," Peter clears his throat. He pauses for a moment, and then starts quietly. "Mr. Stark..." He falls silent, unsure of how to, or if he even should finish his question. When Mr. Stark raises an eyebrow, he starts again. "Mr. Stark, am I going to be punished, sir?" For a few, agonizing moments the man is silent.

"I'm not going to punish you," he finally decides. "But I am going to disable the suit for the rest of your grounding period. And tonight, I'm going to take you home and let Derek know that you snuck out. Whether or not he punishes you for that, is his decision." Peter almost protests, but realizes that he has no good reason to without telling Mr. Stark more than he is supposed to, and that would constitute even more punishment.

They take a car to the apartment, and Peter is thankful for small mercies. At least it will just be Tony Stark dropping off his intern, and not Iron Man. A smaller disruption might make his punishment easier. The car ride is silent, and it's not a pleasant silence, either. When they get upstairs to Peter's apartment door, Tony knocks on it. Derek answers after a few minutes, looking groggy and disgruntled.

"Peter? Was' goin' on?" he rubs the sleep from his eyes. "Is that Tony Stark with you?" Peter is too nervous to answer. Luckily, Tony answers for him.

"You must be Derek," he offers a hand for the man to shake. "Tony Stark. Peter here is my intern." He keeps talking, but Peter zones out and misses the rest of what he says. He is brought back to the present moment when Derek speaks again.

"Peter, the Avengers Tower is so far from here!" Derek exclaims, and Peter hears that fatherly tone that he hates so much. "What were you thinking? It's dangerous at this time of night. Especially in New York! Spiderman may be decreasing the crime rate nightly, but he can't get to everyone. The chances of him being around to protect you are very slim. I know you idolize him, but putting your life in danger, is the worst way to get his attention." The man turns to address Tony again. "Thank you so much for bringing him home. I'm very sorry for the trouble he's caused you."

"Really, it isn't much trouble," Tony counters. "Like I said, I was already out. The drive out here was pleasurable anyway. I love any time I can spend with my brightest intern." He ruffles Peter's hair affectionately, causing Peter to tense up on instinct.

"Well, thank you anyway," Derek smiles. "Come on Peter, we'd better get to bed." Peter slowly steps over the threshold into his apartment. Just before the door closes, he turns toward Tony with an overwhelming desire to tell him everything. He's still warring with himself when the door clicks shut, and Derek turns the locks. Too late to turn back now.


	8. If At First Tony Brings You Home

**A/N: It is I, the um, well, slightly embarrassed author of this story. I could have updated a looooong time ago because I've had this written, but I've been binging Supernatural which I just started watching for the first time. Which means I didn't take the time to edit this chapter and post it. But here it is, soooo...**

**Warnings: Non-graphic physical abuse of a minor, suicidal thoughts, nothing too graphic tho**

"Go to your room, Peter," Derek speaks evenly, but Peter can feel the fury simmering just below his calm front. Peter obeys quickly, sitting on his bed to wait for his punishment. When Derek enters, he is still outwardly calm.

"Now Peter," he looks the boy in the eyes. "I'm going to have to punish you. You understand why, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," Peter notices that Derek is holding his belt.

"Take off your shirt, and lie down on the floor on your stomach," Derek instructs. Peter does so, taking a deep breath to prepare for what he knows is coming. He is fully aware of every excruciating moment of his punishment. By the time Derek is finished, it takes all of Peter's strength to stand like he is instructed. Even leaning on his bedpost, he struggles to stay upright.

"Put on your shirt," Derek tells him. Peter complies. He's gotten really good at doing that, lately. _Complying_. It's amazing what a little inspiration can do for someone.

"We're going to try this again," Derek smiles condescendingly. "I want you to go outside, and stay outside. Since it didn't work like it was supposed to the first time, you're going to have to be out all through today, and tonight. I'll call you out of school today, so make sure no one sees you and tries to ask you why you aren't in school. Does that all make sense, Peter?"

"Y-yes, sir," Peter feels like a song on repeat.

"Good. You can come home at seven Tuesday morning to get your stuff for school, okay?"

"Okay," Peter refuses to let himself cry as he walks out of his room, onto the fire escape, this time with nothing. No backpack, no suit, not even an energy bar.

_Keep walking_, Peter tells himself for the third time. He's cold, and he knows that if he stops moving, he will be at a severe risk of hypothermia. So he keeps walking. Even though every step sends a fiery pain down his back, and a small part of him wonders if it would be easier just to give up. It would probably be easier on everyone around him if he did. Mr. Stark wouldn't have to deal with a snot-nosed kid always disobeying him. Derek wouldn't have to punish him. May wouldn't have to worry about him all the time. The last time he had felt this way, had been right after Ben had died. He had tried to leave, once, but it was before he was very familiar with his superpowers, and he hadn't realized how fast his body would go through painkillers. All that had resulted from his attempt was two days of constant puking that made May worry and have to take care of him. She had thought it was food poisoning, and he hadn't had the heart to correct her. He'd had time to think during his recovery, and had realized how selfish it was of him to do something like that. He was all May had left. If he had actually died, that might have been the thing that broke her completely. Now, though, May has someone. She has Derek. So what would be the harm in him going away? 'If you die, kid, I feel like that's on me'. Mr. Stark. He can't- he can't kill himself. Not when Mr. Stark will blame himself for it. He has a difficult enough time on his own. People always somehow find a way to pile guilt on him for things. Peter can't imagine contributing to that pile. Especially when he owes Mr. Stark so much.

He keeps walking. He walks past Delmar's to Midtown, and then loops back. By the time he's passing by Delmar's again, his pace has slowed greatly, and it is beginning to get light out.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school, Mr. Parker?" Delmar wonders when he walks in to the man's store.

"I uh, I'm not going today," is Peter's vague response.

"Alright," Delmar says after a pause. "I'm not gonna question it. I know you. You're a good kid." That was the end of it. No threats to call his aunt, no overly personal questions, or whys. Just "You're a good kid". Of course, while Peter knows that's technically not true, the thought is nice. He spends all day with Mr. Delmar, helping him around the shop, and engaging in small talk with his friend. He even gets a free sandwich around noon, which helps his headache to go away, and reduces the pain in his back somewhat.

The shop closes at 5:00, and Peter realizes wistfully that he'll soon have to brave the outside again. Mr. Delmar seems to notice his reluctance, and they end up completing the closing duties slowly.

"Here Peter," Mr. Delmar holds a small bundle of cash, and another sandwich out towards Peter.

"I-I can't," Peter protests.

"Hey, it's the least I can do for you," the older man insists. "You spent all day helping me out. You deserve honest wages, and the sandwich is because I like you so much." There's a little laughter behind his words, and even though he's exhausted, Peter finds that a real smile has worked its way onto his face.

"Thanks man," he grabs the the items. "I'll uh, I'll see you later," he waves awkwardly, and heads out of the store.

"See you around kid," comes the man's response. "Stay safe out there."

"Always," Peter hates the thought that "out there" is safer than his own home right now, but it's true anyway, so he can't be too mad at his brain for thinking it. During the day, while the sun was up, things had warmed up a bit, but by this time the sun is setting, and clouds are forming on the horizon. Of course, knowing his Parker luck, those clouds will probably dump rain on him tonight.


	9. Sometimes Mistakes are For the Best

**A/N: Here it is! A chapter with content that I believe is long-awaited. :P**

**Warnings: There's a panic attack in here, but it's not too graphic or anything.**

Peter's kind of a nerd, not that that's much of a secret or anything. I mean, he goes to Midtown, and he's part of the athletic decathlon team, and he wears t-shirts with science puns on them. So yeah. Number one class A nerd alert. Being a nerd has its benefits though, one being he knows a lot about a lot of random stuff. Snow, for example. If you asked him to tell you about snow, he might tell you about how it's formed, how water droplets way up in the clouds get cold enough and form white flakes. He might tell you about how no two snowflakes are alike. Kind of like humans. There's a lot Peter Parker could tell you about snow any ordinary day. Today if you ask him? He'll probably glance at you with chattering teeth and grunt out a single word. _Cold. _If he wants to say more, he might also very eloquently add to that observation _wet_. Why so few words, you ask? Because right now Peter is dressed in a tee-shirt and jeans. Walking around outside. In the snow. His shirt is soaked through, and his jeans are starting to feel damp and uncomfortable. With no phone or watch, Peter has no way of knowing exactly what time it is, but if he had to guess, he'd say it's probably around 1:00 in the morning. The snow had started about an hour after sundown, and had quickly driven people from the streets. Peter knows from experience, it will be a quiet night with little to no crime. He also knows that staying outside all night will be dangerous, if not fatal with his difficulties regarding thermoregulation. He puts his hands into the pockets of his jeans, to warm them, and feels something in one of his pockets. He pulls it out, and discovers that it's his Stark Industries ID card. He has the highest level clearance with this card other than Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts, and has access to almost anywhere in the Avengers Tower. Without another thought, he heads in that direction. He arrives, and lets himself in quietly.

"Hello, Peter," FRIDAY almost gives Peter a heart attack when her voice comes over the intercom system. "Shall I notify Boss of your arrival?"

"Uh, no. No, that's okay," Peter hates himself for overlooking that detail. He had been so preoccupied with being cold and finding warmth, that it had totally slipped his mind that Tony would be at home. "Uhm, I was actually, I was just leaving." He turns around to walk out, but the AI speaks again.

"According to my protocols, if you show up at the tower, and attempt to leave before seeing , I am required to scan you for injuries before I allow you to leave. Would you like me to scan you?"

"No!" Peter lowers his voice after his initial outburst. "I-I mean no, thank you. I'll uh, I'll just go see Mr. Stark."

"Boss is in his lab, would you like me to take you there?"

"Yes please," Peter walks into the elevator. "I didn't realize Tony had protocols like that," he comments to FRIDAY on the way up.

"Boss implemented the spiderling protocols two weeks ago," FRIDAY explains. "The purpose of these protocols are to insure your safety, and also to ease his worries."

"His worries?" Peter furrows his brow.

"Boss often worries about you, Peter," FRIDAY reveals."The last time he was worried was less than 24 hours ago.

"Oh," Peter's voice cracks. The elevator dings, and the door slides open. Peter takes a deep breath, and makes his way over to Mr. Stark's lab. He looks inside, and Mr. Stark is sprawled out over his workspace, sleeping. He must have been working nonstop since he'd picked Peter up yesterday, and his body had finally had enough, and had gone to sleep on him. Peter turns back to the elevator and presses the button.

"I am not allowed to let you leave until Boss gives me the okay," Friday informs him.

"But he's asleep," Peter whispers. "He needs to sleep, he never gets enough sleep."

"Would you like me to scan you instead?"

"No," Peter reluctantly turns about once more. He walks over to the glass walls, and knocks to get Mr. Stark's attention.

The engineer sits up abruptly, looking around to locate the source of the noise. When he sees Peter, he sighs. Peter is grounded, and has no business leaving his apartment at this time of day. He locks eyes with his intern, who can barely hold his gaze before dropping his eyes to the floor.

"Open the door, Fri," he stretches, his back protesting his previous sleeping position. The door swings open, making Peter jump slightly.

"Come on in, Pete," Tony remarks. Peter walks in, his shoulders hunched. "Decided to pay me a visit at 1:30 in the morning? While you're grounded, I might add."

"M'sorry Mr. Stark," Peter fidgets nervously. "I-I tried to leave without waking you up, but Friday wouldn't let me."

"But you showed up in the first place," Tony raises an eyebrow.

"I-I was cold," Peter mumbles. "It's snowing outside."

"And you were outside why?"

"Look, I shouldn't have come here," Peter tells himself that the burning behind his eyes is just irritation. "I'll, uh, I'll go."

"Not until you explain yourself," Tony gazes intently at the teen.

"I can't," Peter swallows thickly.

"Okay, well why don't you take a seat," Tony gestures to the couch along one wall of his workshop. Peter obeys him silently, sitting on the edge of the seat with his head hung low. Tony starts tinkering with his project in silence. After awhile, Peter's shivering finally slows, and he feels less chilled. His stomach is growling at him ever so slightly, but at least his world isn't spinning. Well, as long as he doesn't make any sudden movements. After what feels like hours, Tony finally starts talking again.

"You know, Pete," Peter snaps his head up at the sudden noise. "You're a good kid," Tony doesn't look up, or stop what he's doing, but some of his attention is now centered on his intern. "I'm not really sure what's gotten into you since May left. It seems so out of character, and I wish you would explain things to me so that I at least have some bit of the reasoning behind your actions."

Here it is. An out. An opening in a conversation with the man he trusts most in the entire world. All he has to do is speak up. _My Aunt's boyfriend beats me up. I know I deserve it for being so bad, but sometimes it feels like he's the one being bad. I've watched the PSAs on abuse. I know what it is. I know that usually hurting a kid is abuse, but Derek says it's just discipline. Besides, he makes May so happy. So please don't tell her anything._ He can't tell Mr. Stark any of that, though. For one, Derek would kill him. Mr. Stark would definitely tell May, and to top everything off, he would sound so completely weak, and useless. Pathetic. No, he can't tell.

"Is it teenage rebellion? Do you feel stifled?" Mr. Stark continues, still searching for an answer to one of life's deepest held secrets: how the teenage mind works. "Look, kid," he says after a pause. "You gotta give me something. I would really hate to punish you for being out after curfew again, but if you don't explain things, I won't really have a choice." Peter's breath catches in his throat. _No. Please, not Mr. Stark._ He doesn't think he could handle it if his mentor hurt him too.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Stark," Peter blurts out. "Please don't hurt me. I can do better, I promise. Please give me one more chance," his voice cracks. "Please, I know I don't deserve it, I just- I can't- I don't know if I could take anymore punishment, especially tonight." Tears pool in his eyes, then start to drip down his face. His breathing quickens, and all of the sound around him becomes muted, and his vision is blurry. Mr. Stark grabs his hands, and he thrashes in fear. Tony doesn't let go, and he feels his hands gently guided towards the man's chest. He faintly hears Mr. Stark telling him to breath, and he tries his hardest to match his breathing to the rise and fall of the chest under his palms. The world gradually comes back into focus, and Peter's breathing evens out, his frantic sobs turning into light sniffles.

"Hey, underoos, you back?" Tony questions gently.

"M'sorry," is Peter's response.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't apologize," Tony opens his arms as an invitation for a hug. Peter slams into them fiercely, feeling a warmth emanate as he's wrapped in strong, careful arms. After a long hug, complete with more crying, and more quiet reassurances from Tony, Peter releases him.

"You okay Pete?" the engineer's voice still carries its gentle tone. Peter nods in lieu of an audible response. "Has someone been hurting you, Peter?"

"Yeah," Peter replies without thinking.

"Who? Is it that Flash kid again? Because I thought that issue was already taken care of-"

"Derek," Peter's whisper is almost imperceptible as he cuts Tony off.

"What?" Tony asks, not catching the name.

"Derek. May's boyfriend," Peter mutters. His eyes are focused solidly on the ground now, in shame. As if he hasn't already cried enough, more tears pool in his eyes. "Don't tell May though," he insists. "He doesn't hurt her, and he makes her happy." Peter can take the pain, if only so that May can be happy.

"We can talk about it in the morning," Tony decides. "For now, I think you need some rest."

"I, um, I can't go home," Peter starts fidgeting again.

"Of course not," Tony exclaims, too loudly because Peter flinches. He lowers his voice. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"S'not your fault," Peter shrugs despondently.

"Pete?" Tony turns Peter's face gently to look into his eyes. "I want to make sure you know something."

"Y-yes sir," Peter clears his throat.

"I need you to know that I will never hurt you, okay?"

"B-but what if I mess up?" Peter sounds so unsure of himself. "I-I mean like if I do something really, really bad?"

"Nothing you say or do could make me hurt you," Tony's heart is breaking for the kid. "Even if you had been out tonight getting drunk, and high, and, I don't know, robbing banks. I still wouldn't hurt you. I promise."

"O-okay," Peter sniffles.

"Why don't we head to bed?" Tony suggests quietly.

"Yes sir," Peter's response shows conditioned, stiff politeness, and Tony sighs.

"Please, Peter, none of that 'sir' stuff. It makes me feel so old," Tony feels like a joke is in order, even if it is weak.

"Yes si- Mr. Stark," Peter's cheeks are red as he hangs his head. "I'm sorry." And Tony decides right then and there what he wants to do to _Derek._ The next moment, Peter is drooping on the couch, about to fall asleep. Tony picks him up on impulse. An impulse which is most certainly _not_ fatherly. It's not because Peter is like a son to him or anything. Of course not. Of all of the absurd things for his brain to suggest. He picks him up because it's the logical thing to do to get him to bed when he's already half asleep.

Peter doesn't react much for tonight being his first night in his personal room at the Avengers tower. A room he didn't know existed before tonight, by the way. Tony isn't hurt. Peter will have many more feelings about it when he's fully awake in the morning.


	10. It's Not Worry, It's Called Concern

**A/N: Here's another chapter that I finally got my lazy self to edit and publish, haha. Thanks so much for all of your kind reviews! Warnings: Bleeped swears**

_Peter doesn't react much for tonight being his first night in his personal room at the Avengers tower. A room he didn't know existed before tonight, by the way. Tony isn't hurt. Peter will have many more feelings about it when he's fully awake in the morning. _

Peter isn't there in the morning. All that's left in his room is a small piece of paper. Tony reads it over and over, as if staring at it could change its message.

_Went to school. __Be back after. Unless you don't want me to._ _I'll just go home after school. Thanks for letting me spend the night Mr. Stark. I'll see you sometime soon, hopefully._

Tony's concern for the kid is perfectly normal, he tells himself. Any employer would be worried about their employee who was in a bad situation. His concern is decidedly _not _fatherly. Because that would be weird, considering he's a recovering alcoholic with the maturity of a sixteen year-old. He's not cut out for _fathering_. He can't even take care of himself, much less help guide and nurture another, younger human being.

Sure, Peter seems to look up to him, but Peter also seems to look up to anyone who can do anything even remotely awesome. Tony's not shy to admit that Iron Man is pretty awesome. That's not the point, though. The point is that his kid, er the kid that is his intern, is in a tough situation, and he owes it to the kid's aunt to get him out of the situation.

He's not going to panic, though. He'll just go pick up the kid from school, and bring him back to the tower. He calls Pepper.

"Hey, Tony," Pepper's voice is grounding, and Tony takes a deep breath. "What's up?"

"Hey Pep," Tony mirrors her greeting. "Uh, look. I've got a situation, and I need to be open all day. Am I supposed to be at any meetings today?"

"Well, Tony," Pepper is undoubtedly smirking. "I don't know if I would call our lunch date a _meeting."_

"S**t. Oh my gosh Pepper, I'm so sorry. I completely spaced our date. Look, can we reschedule? I know I always do this, and I'm so sorry, I just, the kid, and I-"

"Tony," Pepper interrupts his rambling gently. "What's going on?"

"Peter's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean Tony? I don't understand," her voice is coated with concern.

"He's gone Pep. He came to the tower last night, and I put him to bed, and now he's gone."

"Where are you now, Tony?" Pepper questions.

"The tower."

"I'm on my way, okay? Just wait for me. I'll be there in ten minutes."

When Pepper arrives, her presence is as professional and tranquil as always. She takes Tony's hands, pulling him back to the present.

"Why don't you tell me what's going on? Start at the beginning," Pepper guides him to sit on the edge of Peter's bed. He follows willingly, as he is reminded of how much he loves Pepper. Oh, and did he mention that he wouldn't know what to do without her?

"Pete came to the tower at about 1:30 this morning," Tony takes a deep breath, and tells her everything. By the time he finishes, a feeling of exhaustion has settled over him like a blanket.

"Wow, Tony," Pepper spoke up after a small pause, discreetly wiping tears from her eyes. "That's, um, that's a lot."

"Sorry to drag you into all of it," Tony leans into her side, relishing in the comfort she provides.

"Tony," her voice is deadpan, and her eyes convey the message of _don't you dare go there._ "What are you going to do now?"

"I was gonna go pick him up from school," Tony replies. "But I don't know if he'd want me to. Maybe he wants me to stay away from him."

"Tony Stark, how long is it going to take you to realize that Peter is overjoyed to spend as much time as possible with you?" Pepper speaks softly, but her voice has a firm edge to it.

"Pep, I gave him a panic attack yesterday," Tony tries to ignore how his voice cracks.

"No, Tony. He _had_ a panic attack yesterday. It wasn't your fault," Pepper pauses. "He needs you, Tony. Go pick him up from school. Make sure he knows how much you care about him." Much as Tony hates to admit it, Pepper is right. As always. "Aren't you one of Peter's emergency contacts?" Pepper wonders.

"Uh, yeah. May added me after she found out about- everything," Tony rubs his hand down his face.

"Good. That means you can sign him out early," Pepper nods.

"What?"

"Sign him out early, Tony. Pick him up now. Otherwise you're just going to overthink everything until school finally gets out," Pepper is wearing her _I'm right and you know it_ face, and Tony doesn't have the strength to disagree. Not to mention she is right.

That's why he finds himself speeding down the street to Peter's school. Not actually speeding, of course. Just definitely going the speed limit. Or maybe just a little bit above. Like seven miles per hour above. Or eight. When he strides into the school, class is in session, and he finds himself thankful for small mercies. He wants this trip to be as discreet as possible. Another time, when the situation is less serious, he can make a scene.

"I'm here to check out Peter Parker," Tony doesn't beat around the bush with the attendance secretary.

"That isn't possible." Apparently, neither does she.

"Check his files," Tony responds. "I'm one of his emergency contacts."

"That's not the issue," she explains. "The issue is that Peter isn't here for you to check out. He never showed up to school today."

"Oh. Well, uh, thank you for letting me know," Tony knows he is failing to put up one of his public _everything's alright_ facades, but with Peter's safety on the line, he somehow can't really bring himself to care.

"Of course," she nods, before allowing her face to fall into one of gentle concern. "Mr. Stark, have you noticed anything different about Peter recently?" Now how exactly is he supposed to answer this? He can't just straight up tell her "oh yeah, I found out last night that he's being abused at home. No big deal."

"You know, he has seemed a bit withdrawn lately," Tony molds his face into something thoughtful. "Why? Have you noticed something?"

"It just isn't like him to miss so much school, and when he has been here, he's been pretty withdrawn, and tired," she fidgets nervously with a stray strand of hair.

"I'll be sure and talk with him," Tony assures her. "His aunt is visiting a friend, so he's staying with her, uh, boyfriend right now. I'll head over there, and try talking to him. Maybe he's just sick or something," that's BS and he knows it, but she doesn't, and he's hoping to placate her worries.

"Okay," she's visibly relieved at his willingness to talk to the kid. "Thank you so much Mr. Stark."

"Tony," he holds out a hand for her to shake.

"Diana," she smiles, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Diana," he smiles. "You mind if my being here is our little secret?"

"Of course," Diana nods."In a situation like this, the last thing you need is some kind of press coverage making it difficult for you to even walk." she laughs a little.

"Well, perhaps I'll see you again, under better circumstances," Tony thinks to the future, when he'll make a scene checking Peter out early. Maybe even scare that Flash kid a little.

"Have a good day Tony," her farewell is more automatic than meaningful.

"You know it," he lies through his teeth. He gets out to his car, starts it, and heads to Peter's apartment. He doesn't stop to think, because if he does, he'll probably panic, and that does nothing to help Peter. Once in the elevator going up to Peter's floor, he texts two people. Happy, to have him drive over to the kid's apartment complex, in case of _complications_, and Pepper, to let her know how the situation has progressed. Happy's response is a terse _on my way._ Pepper's response is also simple. _Be careful_. He sees the levels in the text. Be careful with himself. Be careful with Peter. Please at least _try_ to avoid a lawsuit.

Peter's floor is quiet. Tony goes over to his door, raises his hand to knock, and lowers it again. He has a key, he doesn't need to knock. He opens the door quietly, to find what appears to be an empty apartment. If he listens closely, however, he can hear muffled sounds coming from down the hall. He heads in that direction, and opens Peter's door. He doesn't know what he was expecting to find in Peter's room, but it certainly wasn't the scene in front of him.


	11. In Which Mistakes Are Made

**A/N: I was really excited for everyone to read this chapter, so I decided to post it now instead of waiting. Hope you all like it!**

**Warnings: Bleeped swears, abuse of a minor**

Peter tries to stay awake, but it isn't long after he falls silent that he is nearly falling asleep on the couch. He's so out of it, he doesn't even jump when Mr. Stark picks him up. The instant his head touches his pillow, he drifts off into a blissful nothingness where not even Derek can reach him.

It's a stupid bird that wakes him a few hours after falling asleep.

"Wha' time 'sit?" he blearily asks Friday.

"It is six thirty-two AM," she replies. He knows he would be able to fall asleep again, but he also knows that Derek expects him to be home at seven. Derek has made it very clear in the past that obeying him is much more important than what Peter wants.

When Peter arrives at the apartment, Derek is waiting for him.

"You're late," Derek growls as soon as he shuts the front door.

"Yes sir, sorry sir," Fear clutches at his heart at the sound of the man's hostility.

"When did I tell you to be home Peter?" Derek questions darkly.

"S-seven, sir," Peter hates the games that Derek plays with him, asking him questions they both know the answer to, when he knows the answer will be incriminating against Peter.

"And what time is it now?"

"I'm not sure, sir," Peter wants to be brave, but he can't seem to bring his voice above a mutter.

"Seven forty-six," Derek's eyes flash dangerously. "It's seven forty-six Peter. You are forty-six minutes late. Do you understand that that has consequences?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Peter tries vainly to placate the man. "I-I didn't mean to be late. I just, I fell asleep, and I didn't wake up in time. Which was mostly because I wasn't allowed to have my phone, otherwise I would have set an alarm, so really, if anything its your fau-" Peter cuts off suddenly, as it occurs to him exactly what he's saying. Derek's face is puce, as his anger simmers just below the surface.

"Just what are you implying?" Derek hisses.

"Nothing," Peter's breath is racing. "Nothing, sir. I didn't mean to imply anything, sir. That came out wrong."

"You know, Peter," Derek speaks as he grips the teen's wrist and begins to pull him further into the apartment. "Every decision you make has a consequence. Sometimes you make good decisions, and the consequence is good. Most people are generally good decision-makers. They live pretty good lives. You, however, have somehow decided to be worst ever at making decisions. Literally, nearly every decision you make, is wrong. I don't know how you manage it," at this point, they have made it to Peter's room. Derek shuts the door and releases Peter's wrist. "You see, Peter," Derek continues. "I was only going to hit you forty-six times this morning, one for every minute you were late. Now, I have to punish you not only for being late, but for being extremely disrespectful. My goal in life is not to hurt you, Peter," Derek begins the process of removing his belt. "My goal in life, is to teach you how you are supposed to act, so that I don't have to hurt you anymore. It just seems to me like you're struggling with the learning part of this whole thing. I really am sorry that I have to do this," Derek grabs a roll of duct tape off of Peter's desk, and pulls a short piece off, placing it over Peter's mouth. "There we go. This is going to hurt, and I don't want to worry the neighbors. Now, take off your shirt, but stay standing this time." Peter obeys, trying to ignore how badly his hands are shaking, or the fact that he can hear his heart beating like it's going to jump out from behind his rib cage. _Crack_. The first strike hits him across the shoulder blades, and the power behind it almost pushes him forward.

"That's one," Derek mutters, and Peter wonders which of the two of them he's talking to. He doesn't have much time to wonder, as another blow sends his pain receptors reeling. At first, he keeps track, counting each blow along with Derek, but around twenty, his focus shifts to staying upright, as his body starts to give in to the punishment. He's trembling from exhaustion by the time Derek stops beating him, breathing heavily from exertion. The floor is covered in paper clips, as a swing from the belt had knocked their open box off of Peter's desk.

"Look, Peter," Derek speaks. "Do you see the mess you've made? Not to mention how your back must be feeling right now. None of this would have happened if you had just gotten home on time." Peter hangs his head in shame. Somewhere, deep inside, a voice is protesting Derek's claims.

_This isn't right. He's manipulating you. Remember the PSA? "Abusers often paint their victims as the ones who are doing something wrong." He isn't trying to teach you because he cares about you. He's trying to control you. All he wants is for you to give in, to believe that you're a bad person. Don't let him do this to you._

The voice is loud enough for Peter to raise his head in defiance. He's still quivering from the pain that is wreaking havoc on his body, but inside a small fire is burning, saying _today is not my day to give up._

"Alright, I've given you a break," Derek makes it sound like he has done Peter a great service. "Now to move on to your punishment for being disrespectful." He reaches over, and pulls the tape off of Peter's mouth, allowing him to speak. "Do you understand how you were being disrespectful earlier, and why you need to be punished for that?"

"I'm not the one who deserves to be punished," Peter speaks up for himself. "You are. You- this is abuse, not teaching. Teaching me a lesson would be talking to me about what I did wrong, and telling me why it was wrong. Maybe even grounding me, or sending me to my room. Taking my phone away. What you're doing, is abuse. And abusers paint their victims as the ones who are doing something wrong," he speaks all in one breath, feeling a weight lift off of his shoulders as the words escape.

"No, Peter," Derek responds. "I am the adult in this situation. You are the child. You know nothing of how the real world works, do you?" _This is where you zip it alright? The adult is talking._

"I just thought-"

"You thought," Derek's voice is incredulous. "You thought? Peter if you had been thinking, we wouldn't be here right now. Don't you see it? _You_ are the problem. You're disobedient and disrespectful, and now somehow you've decided to turn around and blame it on me? News flash: you aren't special. You're just like every other rebellious teenager that needs to be put in his place and taught a lesson in respecting his authority figures." Just like that, Peter's flame is doused.

"C-can I please sit down, sir?" Peter speaks up feebly, suddenly aware of his dizziness as he sways back and forth. The man doesn't answer right away, and a few seconds are all it takes for the room to spin, and then for his world to go black. When he opens his eyes, he sees the ceiling of his room.

"Hey Petey, are you okay?" The voice belongs to Derek, but the tone feels all wrong.

"What happened?" Peter wonders.

"Well, you passed out, bud," Derek kneels next to him, a look of concern plastered on his face. "You were only out for a few seconds, though. How are you feeling?"

"My um, my back hurts," Peter manages, still trying to understand the change in Derek's behavior.

"Do you remember what was happening before you passed out?" Derek asks.

"It was after I was, um, punished for getting home late," Peter responds. "You were explaining why I was wrong for thinking that you were abusing me. Which I understand now, sir. I'm very sorry." Derek is suddenly jerked out of his view, and Peter hears the distinct voice of Tony Stark growl, "You f***ing b*****d! Stay away from my kid!"


	12. In Which Derek Gets What's Coming to Him

**A/N: Here's the chapter you all have been waiting for! Hopefully, I did this confrontation justice. Let me know if you all liked it!**

**Warnings: Referenced abuse and bleeped swears.**

Tony opens Peter's door not knowing what to expect. He doesn't think there's much that would surprise him. Derek could be hurting Peter, they could be having an argument, or maybe even a heart to heart where Derek insists that Peter is worthless, and Peter silently accepts the abuse. What he wasn't expecting, was Derek leaning over Peter with, _is that a look of concern on his face? _On top of that, the words coming out of Peter's mouth fill him with both rage and an almost feral protectiveness.

"_-were explaining why I was wrong for thinking that you were abusing me. Which I understand now, sir. I'm very sorry."_

"You f***ing b*****d! Stay away from my kid," he growls, as he tears the man away from Peter and holds him against the wall, arm pressing against his throat.

"Tony Stark?" Derek sputters. "What are you doing here?"

"Telling you to stay the h*** away from my intern," Tony explains himself.

"Get your filthy hands off me," Derek demands. "I could have you booked for assault!"

"Yeah, and I could have the best team of lawyers in America defend me!" Tony retorts.

"Sure will be bad for your image when I tell the world that Tony Stark went alone to the house of a sixteen year-old boy and assaulted me, his guardian," Derek's voice is malicious. "The press will have a heyday."

"F*** my image!" Tony shouts. "To h*** with it! I am not going to stand here and let some lowlife jerk get away with hurting one of the only people I truly care about!"

"I'm curious, Tony," Derek seems to not have much of a concern for his own safety, if his jabs are anything to go by. "What exactly happens during these weekly, sometimes even biweekly "internship" visits to your tower? Does little Petey here _serve_ you well?" The implications have Tony seeing red. His fist flies, catching Derek's jaw. The impact sends the abuser's head into the wall, knocking him out cold. Tony stands, breathing heavily for a moment, before his attention is turned to Peter. He kneels next to his, uh, _intern_, and addresses him quietly.

"Hey Pete," he murmurs. "How're you doing?"

"I-I'm okay," Peter sniffs, and it's obvious he's been crying, still is, in fact. His hands come up and rub his face absentmindedly, and Tony makes a split-second decision.

"Yeah, okay," he speaks brusquely to hide his emotional vulnerability. Not that it would be a bad thing for Peter to see him in an emotionally vulnerable state, but now is not a good time for that. Peter needs him to be strong. In control. Peter needs Iron Man right now, not Tony Stark. "I'm gonna get some stuff together for you. Any special requests?"

"What?" Peter looks confused.

"A bag. I'm putting together a bag for you. You know, changes of clothes, toothbrush, deodorant, Spidey suit. That kind of stuff. Do you have anything in particular you want me to put in this bag?"

"Um, not, not really, no," Peter still seems confused, and Tony sighs.

"Look, kid," he tries to clarify. "If you're going to stay at the compound, you need some clothes and stuff." Peter still doesn't seem to fully grasp the implications. "Peter. I am putting together a bag of your stuff, calling Happy to keep an eye on the apartment, specifically _him_," here he gestures vaguely to Derek. "Then you and I are going to get in my car, after which I will drive to the Avenger's Compound. Which is where you will be staying until your aunt gets home. Does that all make sense?"

"Yes Mr. Stark," Peter manages. "Thank you Mr. Stark. I don't know what I did to deserve this, but thank you sir."

"No," Tony speaks a little harsher than he intends to, but Peter seems to listen closely. "See, that's the thing. You don't have to do something to _deserve_ safety and lo-care. It is your right as a human being, and especially as a _child_ to be cared for and nurtured. The adults in your life? It's their job to protect you. Some of us just don't understand that role. Or don't care. I haven't figured out which, yet." Peter can tell that he's talking about Derek.

"Derek understands," Peter has a deeply rooted impulse to stand up for the man. "He was only punishing me to teach me a lesson. He only ever hurts me if I do something bad. He said he doesn't want to hurt me, but that he has to so that I learn how to make good decisions," Peter parrots the lies that Derek fed him earlier. "I'm really bad at making good decisions," Peter finishes.

"Bulls***," Tony deadpans. "That's what he's full of." He grabs a bag down from Peter's closet, and methodically fills it with clothes and toiletries. Not that he can't just buy this stuff for Peter, but he feels like a bit of normal, a bit of _home_ will be good for him. It only takes him about five minutes to pack, and with an update to Happy, who responds with _ETA ten minutes_, and a quick check to be sure Derek is still alive, Tony is ready to leave. The act of leaving, proves to be a bit difficult, as Peter can barely stand on his own, much less walk. With an itch to get of the apartment, Tony makes an executive decision, swinging the pack over his shoulder and, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, gently scooping Peter into his arms. The difference? This time Peter is fully aware of what's happening. That thought should scare Tony, but when the kid's head instinctually burrows closer to the crook of Tony's elbow, he can't help the warmth that emanates through his heart. Of course, the warmth is decidedly _not_ fatherly. Because that would be weird. Definitely, very, very weird. Him? A father-figure? Please.


	13. The Mind of the Man

**A/N: This chapter is written completely from Derek's point of view. I wanted to give you all a glimpse into his thought processes and why he does what he does. My goal with this character was to write him as having Narcissist Personality Disorder. I am by no means an expert, but I did do some research. I found some information, but there seems to be very little knowlege on NPD. Please feel free to let me know if you see any glaring issues or inaccurate information in here. My goal was to be as accurate as possible.**

**Warnings: Bleeped swears, references to abuse**

When Derek meets May Parker, his heart skips a beat. He's a surgeon, newly transferred after a move from California, (long journey, he knows, he needed a change of scenery). She's a nurse working in the ER. She's young, beautiful, and single, as he soon finds out. He introduces himself the first chance he gets, charm dialed high.

"Excuse me miss," he speaks in a posh british accent. "I don't think I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance. My name is Doctor Derek Evanson." She laughs, and it's beautiful music to his ears.

"Well Doctor Evanson," she giggles, mirroring his accent with her own, albeit less masterfully. "I am May Parker."

"Miss May Parker, I hope I'm not being too forward when I say that you are the most beautiful woman I have seen in a long time," He drops the accent, but gazes into her eyes, searching them for any sign of interest.

"Oh please," she shakes her head in amusement. "I'm really not as special as all that."

"Oh but you are special," Derek smiles. "Maybe I can convince you of your beauty over coffee after our shifts?" At the look of hesitation on her face, he's quick to reassure her. "Nothing too formal. Just a couple of coworkers sharing a bit of caffeine after work." She nods, once, and then a couple more times as she agrees.

"Yes," she nods. "Sure, yeah. Sounds great. I'm um, I'm off at six. You?"

"Six it is," he agrees. "I'll meet you out front by the doors."

Coffee becomes a regularity between the two of them. In fact, it starts to turn into a ritual. Sometimes they go out just to spend time with each other. Sometimes, they use it as a time to decompress after a particularly stressful shift. One coffee date, May opens up about Ben, and how much she had been hurt by his passing. She reveals that she had closed herself off, feeling almost as though dating another man would be disrespectful to her late husband's memory. Derek reassures her that he only wants to support her, and that he would never pressure her to make their friendship more than what it is. He knows that if he pushes too hard, it could quite possibly have the opposite effect, and drive her away. Her pull is irresistible, magnetizing. If he can make things official with _her,_ a young woman who is both beautiful and has closed herself off from men?

Coffee dates become dinner dates. Dinner dates become movies. After movie times go from Derek taking her straight home, to long walks in the park, and heart to hearts by the riverside under the stars. She confides in him. She tells him about her nephew, her ward, Peter. How both of his parents passed away in a tragic accident, and how it left him with scars on his heart that he only ever shows to the people he's closest with. He holds her when she reveals, in an emotionally draining conversation, how worried she is about Peter. How he's been sneaking out, how he lost his Stark internship.

Then, one coffee date, she's nervous again. Not ten minutes after they've sat down, she's torn a napkin to shreds, and tapped her nails aggressively enough to almost irritate him. He asks her what's wrong, and after a moment's pause she explodes with a phrase that makes his heart leap. She's ready to take their relationship to the next level. If he wants to. And there it is. He's done it. He has reached the unreachable level with May Parker. He makes sure she's sure, that she's ready for this step, that's made so much more significant for them than the average pair given what she's already told him. She's sure, and with no hesitation on his part, they make things official.

He takes her to the Trattoria L'incontro that Friday night in celebration, and gives her the largest bunch of roses in the history of bunches of roses. She blushes when he calls her beautiful, and she's a little embarrassed by his large display of love, but he reassures her that there's nothing to be ashamed of. "So what if they stare?" his voice almost conspiratorial. "We're the happiest couple on earth. We deserve the attention." She giggles a little, and raises her glass of 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon in a toast "to happiness". He agrees.

Then, one momentous day, she brings him home and introduces him to Peter. She's pacing, waiting for Peter to come home from school, worried he won't approve, or that he'll be hurt that she kept their relationship a secret from him. She needn't have worried. Peter is over the moon. He's excited that she's finally found someone who treats her right.

It isn't long after that, he moves in. He puts up with Peter's constant energy for almost two months, before he almost loses it completely, scaring the teen in the process. Not that it's his fault, really. He can't help it if he hates Tony Stark. Then one day he and Peter are arguing, and the kid brings up Tony again. It barely registers until contact is made, that his hand has flown out to meet Peter's cheek. He immediately apologizes, begging the kid not to tell May, because he really hadn't meant to hurt the kid, and f*** if May finds out, he's toast. Hurting Peter was never his plan. He'd definitely thought of it before. Wondered what it would feel like to slap that constant smile of excitement off of the boy's face. Well, now he knows, and honestly? It feels pretty satisfying. The loud _crack_ of flesh meeting flesh. The red blush that immediately blossoms from the area. The power he feels watching Peter cower back in fear. When May leaves a week later to go visit a friend, leaving Peter in his care, he decides it's a good time to see what other fun he can have with Peter.

At first, he just pushes him around a little, relishing in his terror and justifying his actions, because really, Peter doesn't have the right to just go wherever whenever he wants. It escalates when he realizes how disrespectful the kid is. Derek hates feeling disrespected. He is the authority and deserves to be treated as such. It's infuriating how infatuated Peter is with Tony. Derek is twice the man that Tony Stark is.

Pushes and shoves evolve into full on beatings, and soon, Derek looks for any reason to punish him, relishing in the high he gets every time Peter apologizes, or _begs_ for mercy. It all grows and escalates as Peter is taught to mind Derek's authority, and obey his whims, even the ones that seem crazy. Then, he has the _nerve_ to suggest that Derek is abusive. It's quick thinking, and scalding words that rescue the situation. He's pleased when Peter apologizes for falsely accusing him.

Only Tony _f***ing_ Stark himself would be brash and reckless enough to fight him for a loser like Peter. Not that it matters. He'll beat out Stark in court. There's no way he can't paint Stark as the bad guy. The man has plenty of people who hate him. Derek will smear him in the press, too. That way, if for some reason Derek does lose in court, Tony will lose too.


	14. Aunt May Returns

**Sooooooooo I can explain the long wait... I mean, not that I have a ****_good_**** explanation. But it is an explanation. Um, so, basically I had a whole bunch of inspiration for my SPN fic, and so I was writing a lot of that, and then I started a fic in the My Hero Academia fandom for a writing challenge with a couple of my friends. So, yeah. I've been writing, and updating fics, just not this one... Nevertheless, I bring you another chapter! A little late maybe, but better late than never? :D**

**Warnings: Same as always, bleeped swearing, violence, you all probably know the drill by now**

"_What the f***?!"_

That is the sentence that marks the beginning of when May Parker's life changes drastically. Not that her life had exactly been unchanging before that moment. What with taking in her nephew after his parents died, then losing her husband, and then finding love again, after she had nearly resigned herself to a life alone… Well, her life is far from unchanging. To find out that her nephew is a superhero though? That one takes the cake. She spends the first couple of minutes listening to Peter try to explain himself, before she excuses herself from the situation, going straight to her room, where she loses her mind a little. She calls Stark's bodyguard and demands he let her speak to Tony directly. He isn't going to let her, and then she mentions that her call has to do with Spider-Man. She's speaking with Tony two minutes later. Or yelling, rather. To his credit, Tony lets her finish, and even has the decency to sound contrite when she finally lets him speak. He should have told her. Shouldn't have recruited her teenage nephew to fight in a battle that should have stayed between adults. Then he turns the conversation to Peter. She remembers his exact words. "If you're going to be mad at someone, be mad at me. Don't be mad at Pete. He didn't know how you'd react, and he didn't want you to be worried." She takes his words to heart, and goes out to have a good conversation with Peter. Stark comes over, and they all set ground rules together.

After a couple of months of things going really well, May decides she trusts Peter to stay home with Derek, who doesn't know his secret identity yet, while she goes to visit a good friend. She's gone for a week, and manages to rely on the belief that if Peter's really in trouble, he'll message her. No contact is made, and at the end of the week, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little anxious to get home. When she finally gets home, she's shocked to say the least.

"Derek, what happened to your eye? Where's Peter?" She's worried immediately.

"Stark went psycho," Derek informs her. He came over here and attacked me for no reason! He knocked me out, and the next thing I knew, he was gone. He took Peter." She calls Stark, who immediately hands her over to Peter.

"Peter, honey, are you okay?" She asks.

"I- I'm with Mr. Stark, so yeah," his voice is shaky, and does little to assuage her fears.

"Why aren't you at home?" She wants to hear it from Peter's mouth.

"Um, well Mr. Stark took me with him. He said that he wanted me to stay with him until you got home, because of Derek."

"What about Derek, honey?"

"He hits me sometimes," Peter responds. "Mr. Stark said that's not normal."

"I'll be over in a little bit," May mutters into the phone. She hangs up, and turns to Derek, face stormy.

"What'd Stark say?" Derek wants to know.

"I spoke directly with Peter," May kept her voice curt.

"Alright, then what'd Peter tell you?" Derek amends.

"The truth," May slaps his face with an open palm. "Pack your bags Derek. It's over."

"Wait, May," Derek protests. "You can't just kick me out like this!"

"I can and I have," comes a flat reply.

"Babe, can't we talk about this? Can't I explain myself and what happened?"

"Are you kidding me?! I gave you the chance to explain yourself, and the situation," May's voice is incredulous. "And you lied to me. You f***ing lied to me Derek!"

"I can't believe you're taking Peter's word over mine!"

"D*** right I am," May affirms solidly. "You could never be more important to me than Peter."

"I can change, baby," Derek catches her hand. "Please give me a chance." May jerks her hand out of his.

"You're right, you can change," She sweetens her voice a little, then reverts back to her original tone. "You can change addresses, because you sure as h*** aren't living with me anymore." Derek holds her wrist firmly.

"You can't just get rid of me like that," he growls darkly. May looks down at her hand cautiously, then, with a flick of her wrist, she disentangles herself from his hold, grabbing his wrist instead. She moves her hand so that she is halfway holding his wrist, and halfway holding his hand, and with a quick, sharp movement, there's a snap and crunch, and Derek is nursing a broken wrist.

"Grab your things, and get out of my house," May finalizes. "If you so much as _look _at me or Peter again, I will contact the authorities faster than you can say 'baby please,' got that?" Derek storms away angrily, not even stopping to get his things before slamming the front door.

May calls Tony again. He asks if she's okay, and does she need any assistance? She laughs a little, bitterly, and tells him that she's gotten things taken care of. She's already walking out the door as she tells Stark that she's coming over. When she opens the door, she's surprised to see Happy Hogan waiting just outside of it.

"Happy, hi. What are you doing here?"

"Watching," he responded gruffly. "The apartment. Not you. I mean I was watching, er, keeping an eye on you after you came inside." She saves him from further discomfort when she sighs and thanks him.

He drives her to the tower, and she's thankful that he does. Once she's seated in the front seat of the Audi, a wave of exhaustion crashes over her.

"You good?" Happy glances over at her, and she must be tired, because she'll swear she saw a look of genuine concern flash through his eyes. Happy's never been the caring type. He does his job, darn well too, and protects whomever Tony Stark instructs. What he doesn't do is mix work with play, allowing his feelings to affect his job.

"I'm fine," she nods tightly. That's all she plans on saying, really, but once the words start pouring out of her mouth, she can't seem to get them to stop. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I mean I just broke up with an abusive a**hole who's been hurting my nephew for who knows how long. But I'm fine," her voice cracks.. She's trying so hard to make it look like she's okay, like she can handle a little heartbreak. One more look from Happy is all it takes to jar her mask. Happy pulls the car over.

"What are you-"

"I know you want to see Peter," he reassures her. "But he's gonna need you to be okay. Not like okay okay, but like, stable."

"What do you mean?" May questions cautiously.

"I mean, he'll need you to be strong," Happy explains. He places a gentle hand on her arm, and it's so uncharacteristically soft, she almost loses it completely. "Look, May. If you need to cry, cry. You need to yell, scream, go ahead. It's just us. No one else around to hear." And that's what does it. Tears pool in her eyes, and overflow like a waterfall.

"I trusted him," she shakes her head. "He- I thought he loved me. He lied to me. I was so hoplessly stupid. Worst of all, Peter got hurt because of it."

"Hey," Happy spoke quietly, but his voice was firm. "You don't get to do that. Don't blame yourself for what that monster did to Peter. It's not your fault. Besides, I'm already going to have to try and shove this message through Tony's thick skull. Don't make it harder on me." He knows now isn't really the time for jokes, but is relieved when May laughs a little.

"I- I guess you're right," she sniffs. "Let's go. I'm ready to see my nephew."


End file.
